


Ribbons and Plaits

by arrasails



Series: First Hellos [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, basically fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 21:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arrasails/pseuds/arrasails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New students attract a lot of attention, and when one doesn't Courfeyrac is strangely drawn to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ribbons and Plaits

New students, as a general rule, tend to attract a lot of unwanted attention. But not Jean Prouvaire.  
In fact the only reason he was noticed by Courfeyrac was because he was sat directly in front of the boy, and needed a dictionary to check a certain word meant what he was 95% certain it meant.  
“Oh, hi,” a surprised Courfeyrac exclaimed, but he received no reply.  
The boy remained on Courfeyrac’s mind for the remainder of the hour, but each time he turned to glance at the mysterious student he received no response.  
Courfeyrac wasn’t sure why the boy stood out so much; he was attractive, sure, but no more than a lot of students. His hair looked like someone had tried to brush it against his will, with a handful of tangles here and there. He was in an obscure t-shirt, on which was what Courfeyrac assumed was a foreign film still, and a pair of jeans in a shade of purple that Courfeyrac hadn’t realised existed, an oversized and probably hand knitted cardigan was wrapped around his waist. The clothes stood out enough to make an impression, but only if you were looking. And no one was looking.  
It wasn’t until the bell finally rang for lunch, and Courfeyrac saw the boy following signs to the library, that he realised what made him special. It was his eyes. His eyes looked empty, like someone had stolen something from them. Happiness, Courfeyrac thought, he had eyes built for smiling.  
Courfeyrac wasn't the most confident of people, but his time studying drama meant he was far from timid, so he followed the boy into the shabby school library watching him sit at one of three available tables. The boy had a poetry book on his left and a notepad on his right, Courfeyrac peered over.  
“Jean Prouvaire,” he read aloud, before taking the chair opposite him. He’d expected a verbal response, but the look he got was enough: surprised, amused and slightly offended.  
“So urm,” Courfeyrac began, before deciding how to continue the conversation, “new schools are scary, and I get that, so I’m just going to talk to you, you can talk back if and when you want; but not having friends in new place kind of sucks. I’m Courfeyrac. I’m in your English Lit class, maybe some of your other classes I don’t know yet, if you’re taking drama or French then probably. I hope so…” Courfeyrac was blushing but he wasn’t prepared to stop talking just yet. The boy was looking directly at him, still not smiling but the look he gave was everything Courfeyrac needed to see.  
“So, well, my favourite colour is blue and my favourite poem is The Owl and The Pussycat, but I guess you’re not studying that. I like pretty much any film with Leonardo DiCaprio in so if you want to make conversation at any point maybe that would be a good starting point? I prefer tea to coffee, but when I go to coffee houses I order coffee because it makes me feel more sophisticated. I like your hair, but maybe you should tie it back? It looks like it’s getting in your way. I like your eyes too.”  
Courfeyrac noticed the surprise in the boy’s eyes as he said this, and he could feel the shock too. He was more embarrassed than he’d ever been (and that included his Year 10 production of Romeo and Juliet that he’d barely rehearsed for and maybe even fell over during) but there was one thing left to say.  
“They’re happy eyes, but you’re not happy. I want to see you smile.”  
Courfeyrac stood up to leave, he wanted out of this conversation before he made an even bigger fool of himself.  
“So, I eat in the common room usually… If you decide you want someone to sit with.”  
Courfeyrac grabbed his bag and turned to leave, but he heard something finally escape Jean Prouvaire’s perfect lips.  
“It’s Jehan. I mean I prefer Jehan.”  
A smile spread across Courfeyrac’s face, and although his mouth stayed straight Jehan’s eyes had lit up in a way that was more beautiful than Courfeyrac could ever have imagined.  
\-----  
He didn’t see Jehan until the next day, when they both had English Literature again. Jehan’s original absence had been disappointing, but Courfeyrac tried to ignore this and continue with the assigned work. It wasn’t until half an hour later, when a nervous looking Jehan knocked on the door, that a smile finally crept across Courfeyrac’s face.  
Jehan sat behind him again, but this time when Courfeyrac turned around he was met with a gaze from his new classmate, like the glance had been expected.  
Jehan looked different today, but it wasn’t the way his hair was plaited or his clothes were even stranger.  
It was his eyes again. They didn’t look empty even though there was still no smile across his face. They were full of life and love and hope and happiness . Courfeyrac’s grin widened.  
And it was met with the most amazing smile Courfeyrac was certain anyone had ever witnessed.  
It wasn’t until the bell rang out that Courfeyrac noticed that inside the plait in his hair, Jehan had wrapped a ribbon. A blue ribbon.


End file.
